Leadership Principles & Styles Flashcards

Which leadership theory argues that effective leaders match their style to the maturity level of their followers?

Answer: Situational Leadership Theory

Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory prescribes that leaders adapt their style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to follower development level.

Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory suggests that leaders develop different quality relationships with different subordinates. The 'in-group' typically experiences:

Answer: Higher trust, more responsibility, and greater rewards

In-group members in LMX receive more attention, trust, and latitude from the leader, leading to higher job satisfaction and performance.

A manager avoids interfering with employees' work unless problems arise. This describes which leadership behavior?

Answer: Management by exception (passive)

Management by exception (passive) means the leader waits for deviations or mistakes to occur before intervening.

Which competency is considered a cornerstone of emotional intelligence for strategic leaders, involving the ability to understand and share the feelings of others?

Answer: Empathy

Empathy, or social awareness, allows leaders to sense others' emotions and perspectives, which is essential for building strong relationships and leading diverse teams.

An organization's leadership pipeline breaks down at the 'managing managers' stage. According to Charan, Drotter, and Noel's Leadership Pipeline model, what is the primary new skill required at this level?

Answer: Selecting and developing first-line managers

At the 'managing managers' passage, leaders must shift from doing the work themselves to coaching and developing first-line managers.

Participative leadership, as described in Path-Goal Theory, is most effective when:

Answer: Followers are highly skilled and desire autonomy

Path-Goal Theory indicates participative leadership works best with capable, autonomous followers who benefit from involvement in decision-making.

Which of the following is a key distinction between leadership and management in strategic contexts?

Answer: Leaders focus on change and inspiration while managers focus on order and consistency

Kotter's distinction holds that management produces order and consistency through planning and controlling, while leadership produces change through vision and motivation.